Michigan Wolverines 2018 Football Preview

Michigan Wolverines 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: The Wolverines took a tumble last season after massive losses from the 2016 team left Michigan as being overloaded with inexperience all over both sides of the football. While there are still holes to fill this fall, specifically on offense, the overall outlook of Michigan is much shinier now than it was a year ago. Michigan starts the season coming off of a rare 3 game skid, with losses to Wisconsin, Ohio State, and South Carolina crushing any kind of momentum from an 8-2 start. The Wolverines will be trying to end that streak on the road as they travel to Notre Dame to start the season, and will also be trying to...for the love of all things holy...beat Ohio State after a long drought in the series. This will be an important year for Jim Harbaugh, who still has not beaten the Buckeyes.

Breakdown Offense: It is incredibly strange to many people that Harbaugh has not yet found an elite QB to bring to Ann Arbor. He may have found someone who pushes the needle closer to that direction in Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson, who was granted immediate eligibility in April. Patterson passed for 2259 yards and 17 scores in 7 games before missing the rest of the season with an injury. Brandon Peters, who played extensively in 6 games last fall, will be the backup heading into camp, but he did have a solid spring, and may not be ready to relinquish the job just yet.He passed for 672 yards and 4 TDs to 2 INTs, but completed just 52% of his passes.

Karan Higdon is back at RB after rushing for 994 yards and 11 scores last fall while averaging 6.06 yards per carry. Chris Evans also returns as the second part of a 2 headed beast in the backfield. He rushed for 685 yards and 6 scores while averaging 5.07 yards per carry. Kareem Walker and O'Maury Samuels both received a bit of work last fall, and returns as depth, if needed.

Last season was not a sterling year for the Michigan passing attack, but some talent has returned in the receiving corps that can hopefully change those fortunes. Grant Perry returns after leading the team with 25 catches last fall. Donovan Peoples-Jones is an immense physical talent that needs to put it all together as a sophomore this season. Tarik Black played in just 3 games last season, and his return should show immediate dividends payed for the passing game. Nico Collins, Oliver Martin, Eddie McDoom, and Kekoa Crawford will provide depth. That group combined for 31 receptions last fall.

The Wolverines have another 2 headed situation, this time at the TE position. The Detroit Free Press calls Sean McKeon the best blocking TE that he has ever seen at Michigan, while Zach Gentry caught 17 passes last season. Nick Eubanks appears ready for a breakout performance, while Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. and Mustapha Muhammed bring depth.

The line has some questions heading into camp at the Tackle spots, while the interior appears settled with Ben Bredeson (LG), Cesar Ruiz (C), and Mike Onwenu (RG) all back to start. Juwan Bushell-Beatty appears to have an edge at LT, while Jon Runyan, Jr. appears to be in the lead on the right side. James Hudson and Nolan Ulizio appear to be the reserves at Tackle, for now. Stephen Spanellis may push Onwenu at RG, while Andrew Stueber, Joel Honigford, and Chuck Filiaga will add depth inside.

Breakdown Defense: The Wolverines return 8 starters total on what was the 3rd ranked team in the nation in total defense last fall, but only 2 return on the line, both at DE in Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary. The return of both players was amazing news for the Wolverines, as these players combined for 30.5 TFLs as a duo, with Winovich leading the team with 18.5. This may be one of the top 5 DE duos in FBS football coming into the season. Winovich recorded 8 sacks, while Gary recorded 6. Kwite Paye leds the way as the backup at DE, while Carlo Kemp and Donovan Jeter will move inside and out when needed.

The Wolverines are looking for 2 new starters at DT. Michael Dwumfour and Aubrey Solomon appear to have the edge heading into fall camp. Solomon played in 13 games as a freshman last fall, recording 2 TFLs. Dwumfour appeared in 9 games as a sophomore. Bryan Mone and Lawrence Marshall appear to be the reserves inside specifically.

Devin Bush led the Wolverines with 102 tackles last season, and returns to man the MIKE spot at LB. He added 9.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, and 8 PBUs, and should be looked at as a potential 1st round NFL draft pick in 2019. Khaleke Hudson also returns after recording 82 tackles, 18 TFLs, 8 sacks, 9 PBUs, 4 QB hurries, and 2 forced fumbles. Like Bush, he is a future NFL 1st round draft pick candidate for 2019.The WLB spot is open heading into fall camp, with Josh Ross competing with Devin Gil. They combined for 9 total tackles last fall. Josh Uche, Noah Furbush, and Drew Singleton are reserves, but will push for reps themselves in camp.

The secondary returns intact after Michigan finished first nationally against the pass last season. Lavert Hill and David Long are the CBs. They combined for 13 PBUs last fall, and tied with each other with 2 INTs per player. They combined for 47 tackles, and were a big reason that Michigan's defense was so efficient in getting off of the field. Hill did suffer some injuries in spring camp, but should be ready to go. Ambry Thomas and Brandon Watson will provide depth at CB, while Jaylen Kelly-Powell inserts as the Nickel. Casey Hughes provides depth at both CB and S.

Josh Metellus and Tyree Kinnel are back at SS and FS, respectively. They combined for 12 PBUs last fall, and Kinnel led the duo with 69 tackles. Metellus totaled 49 tackles from his strong spot. J'Marick Woods, Brad Hawkins, and Jordan Glasgow give the Wolverines plenty of depth here.

Breakdown Special Teams: Quinn Nordin returns at PK after hitting 19/24 FG attempts last season, but he needs to sharpen up on PATs, as he missed 3 a year ago (35/38).

Brad Robbins had a decent go at Punter as a freshman last season, averaging 40.36 yards per punt. He should show improvement across the board this fall.

The Wolverines could use some improvement on KR duty, as Ambry Thomas and Kekoa Crawford both failed to average over 20 yards per return last fall. Peoples-Jones averaged 8 yards per PR last fall, and took one to the house.

Final Analysis: Harbaugh should have a lifetime gig at Michigan, but the faithful will start to grumble (as some already have) about his failure to beat Ohio State, and his lackluster performance in bowl games. Finishing 2nd or 3rd in the Big 10 East annually will not satiate anyone in Ann Arbor, and while the defense appears to be fired up once again for Michigan, the offense has got to work off the rust and get moving this fall, because the competition in the division with the Buckeyes, Penn State, and Michigan State, is as strong as it has ever been in 2018, and then there's Wisconsin out of the West. Finding elite offensive talent at Michigan has been a problem, and that has to be solved if the Wolverines are to push through and win the Big 10, which will eventually become a must.